Shoppers save some cold cash as stores open early

Thursday

Nov 28, 2013 at 6:26 PMNov 28, 2013 at 6:26 PM

By Jim.Hayden@hollandsentinel.com(616) 546-4274

The holiday spirit was packed in a plastic tub and wrapped in three shirts, a coat, fur hat and a couple of blankets.Ben Wiersma wasn’t giving up any of the Thanksgiving trimmings — or body heat, for that matter — in his quest for a deal on a 55-inch television at Best Buy, 3549 West Shore Drive in Holland Township.“I’ll save $250,” he said as he finished his compact repast of turkey, mashed potatoes and corn at about 4 p.m. Thursday on the sidewalk in front of the store. The temperature was 25 degrees — that’s about $10 saved for each temperature degree outside — as wind and lake effect snow pelted the dozens of people in line for the 6 p.m. opening.Best Buy was one of many retailers including Target, Toys R Us, Old Navy, Macy’s and the local Westshore Mall that opened their doors early to shoppers, breaking with tradition.The day after Thanksgiving, called Black Friday, for a decade had been considered the official start to the holiday buying season. It’s also one of the biggest shopping days of the year.But in the past few years, retailers pushed opening times into Thanksgiving night. They’ve also pushed up discounting that used to be reserved for Black Friday into early November, which has led retail experts to question whether the Thanksgiving openings will steal some of Black Friday’s thunder.In fact, Thanksgiving openings took a bite out of Black Friday sales last year: Sales on turkey day were $810 million last year, an increase of 55 percent from the previous year as more stores opened on the holiday, according to Chicago research firm ShopperTrak. But sales dropped 1.8 percent to $11.2 billion on Black Friday, though it still was the biggest shopping day last year.“Black Friday is now Gray Friday,” said Craig Johnson, president of Customer Growth Partners, a retail consultancy. “It’s been pulled all the way to the beginning of November.”Wiersma, at Holland Township’s Best Buy, arrived at the store about 7:30 p.m. Wednesday. Early, but he wasn’t first in line.Ruben Pacheco Jr. was No. 1, starting the line about 4:30 p.m. Wednesday.“I got my six blankets in there,” he said Thursday, pointing to his tent. His girlfriend brought him hot chocolate, and his dad made sandwiches.“They all called me crazy,” he laughed.He was waiting for a 3D HDTV and the discount of more than $500.“I want to get my friend a present,” said Sebastian Guerra as he braced himself against the cold, “and get a TV for myself.”Most were in line for televisions, laptops or iPads, though one man in a baseball hat with his hands in his jacket pockets said he’d really like a blanket.The store was prepared for the early shoppers, fencing off the line and supplying a portable restroom. A security guard also patrolled the area.— Follow Jim Hayden on Twitter@SentinelJim. The Associated Press contributed to this report.